Six Sport for Business members have been shortlisted for nine different awards in the prestigious UK Sport Industry Awards.
The FAI and Fifty-Three Six – Original Content Award
In 2023, the Irish Women’s National team qualified for the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the first time.
The Football Association of Ireland developed a comprehensive strategy to platform these players and celebrate this team. At the centre of this would be the squad announcement video. This was an opportunity to hero this team, gain national recognition, and build support and anticipation.
The FAI worked with their creative agency, Fifty-Three Six, to produce a video and campaign that surpassed all expectations; just like this team. Over 4M organic views in the space of 2 days gave this team the platform they deserved.
United Rugby Championship – Sport Organisation of the Year and Tessa Jowell Social Impact Award
2023 has been the URC’s most lucrative commercial period to date.
Broadcast revenue increased by 11% in the UK & Ireland, and sponsorship gained momentum with esteemed new partners BKT, Qatar Airways, Kappa, Elixirr, and OFX.
Average attendance hit a record high, and audience tracking metrics signalled a growing global fan base of 1m additional fans.
The 2023 Grand Final sold out in 2 hours, and it introduced new revenue streams, such as OTT, fan tours, merchandise, and digital collectibles, providing new fan experiences and diversified revenue.
The URC Women’s Leadership Academy is a cornerstone of the United Rugby Championship’s “Take on Tomorrow” initiative and empowers women aged 18-26 to enhance their presence in the sports industry.
This program fosters diversity and inclusion, offering participants from 12 countries a platform to learn from sports luminaries, develop professional networks, and explore career paths.
Through impactful workshops and accessible networking, 50 young women gain insights into broadcast, sponsorship, marketing, communications, digital content, and tech. Selected MVPs earn coveted work experience at the URC Grand Final and a three-month internship.
Sheridans Sport – Professional Services Team of the Year
2023 has been a ground-breaking year for the Sheridans | Sport team.
Sheridans is a leading firm in women’s sport and has played a key role in the commercial growth and maturity of the industry during 2023, representing countless Lionesses and athletes, rights holders, brands and organisations at the cutting edge of women’s sport. It has also maintained its position as the standout esports lawyers in Europe.
Its high-profile work within sports tech and data, and sports regulation and focuses on pushing innovative developments in data, governance and sustainability.
Ryder Cup Europe – Event of the Year, Team of the Year and Best on Social
At the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, Ryder Cup Europe had a mission to do two things. 1.) Bring fans closer than ever before to golf’s greatest team contest through innovative, behind-the-scenes content and 2.) Go beyond tournament week, building a yearlong campaign to win new fans and generate buzz on the road to Rome.
A stream of firsts delivered record-breaking results. Across 2023 there were 6,659 posts across all Ryder Cup social channels, which led to 800m impressions, 270m video views, and 35m interactions, contributing to the channels gaining 500,000 new followers.
The Ryder Cup surpassed all records and set a new benchmark for how to cover a major sporting event across digital channels.
Norwich City FC – Campaign of the Year and Original Content
What can be more meaningful than saving a life? This was the question Norwich asked 18 months ago, when it began using its platform to deliver meaningful activations promoting positive mental health.
The average age of NCFC’s season ticket holders correlates to the age bracket most likely to take their own life (45-49).
Its recent campaign around World Mental Health Day 2023 culminated in a short film was designed to show two supporters who fall into this age bracket and dispel the myth that just because someone appears okay on the surface, they may not be.
The video has been seen over 142m times in over 150 countries across the club’s channels and user-generated content.
The Awards ceremony will take place in London in April.
The FAI are among the nearly 300 organisations that are members of the Sport for Business community.
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